by Ella Miles
“You made this, Heartbreaker?” Ri asks Hayes.
Hayes blushes at the nickname she gives him. “I’ve found that the ladies like a man who can cook, so I taught myself. And with you being Italian, I thought you would like a good carbonara.”
“It’s delicious,” she beams at him.
He winks back at her.
I don’t like their interaction at fucking all—not because I want her. Not because I know she’s kissed at least three guys in this room, and it’s going to start a war with the guys over her, but because there are strange feelings I feel about her—like I want to protect her.
I’ve never had a little sister, but I’m guessing this is what it feels like—to want the best for her and to not want to see her get hurt by some guy. I can’t tell her who to date or fuck, and soon she’s going to go back to her life with her family, but damn do I want to tell her to stop flirting with Hayes.
We all continue eating in relative silence. We’ve all had a long day. But I need answers.
I pull out my phone and walk over to Ri, kneeling in front of her. “Take a look at this video and see if you can identify anyone.”
She reluctantly takes the phone and presses play on the grainy video of Odette being led out of the hotel through the back alleyway. There are two guys in the video, but both are wearing masks.
“Do you recognize anyone? Or the van she’s being loaded in?”
“This is Odette?” Her eyes blink back tears.
I nod.
She exhales harshly, closing her eyes as she pushes the phone back into my hand. “I’m sorry, I don’t know who those people are.”
“Tell me what you know, Princess. What happened in that hotel?” My voice is harsher than I intended to, but I’m tired of waiting for answers.
Ri flinches.
Gage, who is closest, blocks me from touching her. “It’s late, and we are all sleep-deprived. We aren’t going to find Odette tonight. Let’s reconvene in the morning when everyone has had a chance to cool down.”
I growl. “I thought I was the one in charge.”
Now, Hayes stands up. “We only have to listen to you when you finish initiation. Until then, anytime we follow you is just a courtesy.”
I get in his face, but I notice all the men in the room are ready to fucking fight, and I’m guessing they’d all take his side, or in actuality, Ri’s side.
“She’s been through enough for tonight. You can talk tomorrow,” Caius says, laying down the law.
I hate it. I hate all of it. I’m not giving up on you, Odette.
I decide that my time is best spent talking to my contacts and trying to get more information anyway, so I back down.
Ri shivers.
“You don’t have to worry about anyone breaking in. This house is completely secure. There are cameras and motion sensors throughout the property. There is a gate you have to drive through to get here by land, and you saw how you can’t see the house at all from the water. You’re safe,” Gage says.
“I know, thank you.” She yawns again, ignoring the tension in the room. “I’m going to head to bed.”
“You can have the room attached to the bathroom you bathed in. I’ll be in the room next door. Caius is the next one. And Hayes will be in the third bedroom upstairs.” I figure it’s best to keep the guys who know her the best upstairs and close to her in case she needs anything. And I dictate where everyone is sleeping to try and take back control.
“Where are Gage and Lennox sleeping?”
“Couch city, Princess,” Lennox says.
She frowns and shivers again. She’s still rattled.
“I can sleep in your room on the floor if it would help? I’m pretty shaken up too, and I’d rather not sleep alone,” Caius says.
“No, I’ll sleep in your room, Caius, in your bed next to you,” her eyes meet mine like this is some sort of retaliation.
But I’m not jealous. I’m not into her. I love my wife, even if she lied to me and even if she doesn’t love me back. But then why do I care whose room she sleeps in?
“That way Gage and Lennox can sleep in the king-sized bed instead of the couch,” she continues.
She stands up, letting the blanket fall to the floor.
“Thanks, Princess.” Gage grabs her hand and kisses the back of her hand.
Lennox just nods his thanks.
She walks past Hayes. “Sleep tight, Ri. If you can’t handle Caius’s snoring, there’s always a spot open for you in my bed.”
She rolls her eyes at him but can’t help but smile. “Not going to happen, Heartbreaker.”
And then she stops in front of Caius. “Take me to bed.” She holds out her hand to him.
He takes it with a ridiculous grin.
They walk past me, and she doesn’t so much as look at me. I hold back a growl. She hates me and thinks I hate her. Which is mostly true, but I’d stop hating her if she would just tell me how to get my wife back. And she’d stop hating me if I told her the truth.
I continue watching as they walk upstairs, not taking my eyes off them until they disappear beyond my sight.
“Sure, you’re not thinking with your dick,” Lennox says.
Gage snickers.
Hayes looks between us, confused. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” I say.
“Just that Beckett finds Princess attractive and doesn’t like Caius touching her,” Gage says.
Hayes grins. “Of course he does. He’s a hot-blooded man with eyes. Princess is fucking incredible. That’s why so many men want her, not just because of the power that comes from her father.”
“I don’t want Ri. I’m married. I love Odette, even if…” I shake my head. “Ri means nothing to me.”
“We’re not saying you are going to cheat on your wife. Or that you love Ri; it’s just lust. But if you would recognize the spark between you two, then maybe you’d realize why you both almost burn the house down every time you are in the same room together,” Lennox says.
“She’s just a means to an end. And any spark you see between us is just mutual hatred.”
Gage laughs. “You forget that, unlike Ri, we know the truth. We know who arranged to rescue her. We know what you did.”
“Enough. Go to bed and get some sleep. And no more fighting my orders if you know what’s good for you. Tomorrow we are going to find Odette.”
“And what about Ri?” Hayes asks.
“Don’t get attached.” I know how her story ends—with us returning her to her father and begging for forgiveness.
15
Ri
Caius holds the door open to his bedroom, releasing my hand and allowing me to walk in front of him. He follows me but at a distance as I enter the large room. There’s a king bed, two nightstands, and a TV mounted on a pale blue wall.
Caius stands at the door, studying me closely, probably for signs I’m about to crack.
“I can leave the door open if that will make you more comfortable?”
I smile at him and shake my head.
Slowly, he closes the door, his hand hovering over the lock until I nod. Only then does he lock it. There’s a reason I chose to sleep in his room. I feel safe around him.
Hayes is flirtatious and a good kisser, but he’s too reckless. Lennox hates my guts. I haven’t gotten to know Gage well enough to trust him. And Beckett would probably stab me in my sleep if it meant I’d tell him where his wife is. Caius is the only one I trust.
“You can have the bathroom first,” Caius says.
I nod again and head into the bathroom. I quickly pee and find a new toothbrush in the drawer to brush my teeth with. Then I sit on one side of the bed while Caius takes his turn in the bathroom.
He reemerges shirtless, but he’s left his joggers on.
“I can sleep on the floor,” he offers, running his hand through his hair so I get a good view of his biceps and chest flexing.
I bite my lip. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a king-si
zed bed. I’m sure we can find a way to share it.” I pat the bed next to me.
With a tense smile, Caius eases himself down onto the bed next to me.
“Do you happen to be a stomach sleeper?” he asks.
I frown. “I’m the tossing and turning type.”
He nods, picking at his nails as he considers his next words.
“You’re too sweet, you know that?”
He chuckles. “I’m not sweet. I wish I was, but the things I’ve done aren’t sweet.”
“You’re sweet to me.” I put my hand on his, getting small tingles through my arm when I touch him. We share a spark. It’s not as intense as the one I feel around Beckett, but maybe that’s because I don’t want to murder Caius in his sleep like I do with Beckett. My emotions are more intense with Beckett because hate is stronger than like. I like Caius; I hate Beckett. My feelings for Caius could grow.
I withdraw my hand suddenly as I realize who I am and what my role is. I don’t get to choose my future, not until I find a way to truly escape. Anything that would happen between me and these guys would just be a fling with no feelings and no future. Caius is too sweet to hurt that way. I don’t take him as a one-night stand kind of guy. He’s too caring for that. Plus, my father would kill him if Caius fucked me.
“So Hayes gets a nickname…do you have a nickname for me?” His cheeks pink as he asks.
My eyes glow with mischief as I pretend to think about it. “Sweetheart?”
He scrunches his nose.
“Sweetie pie?”
His frown darkens.
“Sweet cheeks?”
“I’ll think I’ll settle for no nickname until you can come up with something more manly.”
I chuckle, rolling my eyes. These guys are easy to make jealous.
“Do you want to talk?” he asks.
I run my hands through my hair, rocking forward in the bed. “I’m confused because that’s what I thought we’ve been doing this whole time.”
He grins. “I meant about what you went through? What you’re feeling?”
I shake my head.
“Or what you know about where Odette might be or who might have her?”
Our eyes meet, and all that’s shining back at me is deep pain in his blue eyes.
“You may hate Beckett and not want him to get his wife back, but she’s my sister, my best friend. We were born less than a year apart. We were close—no, we are close. I want my sister back. If you won’t talk to Beckett, talk to me.”
“I’ll talk to Beckett tomorrow. I’ll tell him everything I know. I can’t go back. I need him to promise to help me get free.”
“I can help you…”
“You can’t. You aren’t in charge, not anymore. He is, so it’s him I should talk to.” I place my hand on his shoulder. “If my father has her, he won’t hurt her. He wants me back too much, and he knows the only way to do that is by keeping her alive so Beckett will trade.” But if my father doesn’t have her, then I have no clue what’s happened to Odette. She could be dead.
He places his hand on top of my mine and squeezes his thanks.
I gently turn and lay onto my stomach, gripping the pillow under my head as I stare up at him. “Tell me about her.”
“Odette?” He pushes himself down until he’s lying on his side facing me.
I nod, trying to look at his eyes and not his contracting muscles, but it’s damn hard.
“Odette is technically ten months older than me, but I’ve always thought of her as an annoying little sister. She was shorter, smaller than me, and I was very protective of her. When we were little, she was always trying to get me to play dress up and painted my face with her makeup. As we got older and she started dating, I was the one who’d beat up the guys who broke her heart. But if you think I’m sweet, just wait until you meet Odette.” His face lights up as he speaks about her.
“Odette is the kind of person who always holds the door open for others, gives every last penny she saves to charity, volunteers at the soup kitchen on her days off, and ensures every stray animal she finds on the street gets a good home.”
“Sounds like someone else I know, Charming.”
“Charming? I like it.” He lights up.
I yawn again. “Tell me more.”
Caius climbs out of bed and turns off the lights before he tells me more stories about Odette as I drift off to sleep.
I wake up before the sun, but there is no use trying to fall asleep again. My back burns, and I need painkillers to ease the pain.
Caius is snoring loudly next to me. His hand is draped over my back, which is I’m sure what woke me up. I roll out from under his arm as a shiver runs through me. I pick up his joggers that he must have ditched at some point in the night and slip them on, but don’t add any layers to my top half. My back and side still hurts too much for that. Then I head out in search of coffee.
The kitchen has a Keurig machine. I wrinkle my nose, knowing it won’t make the best cup of coffee and hating that the pods are horrible for the environment, but I need coffee, so this will have to do.
I dig through the cabinet for a cup and put a pod in and press the button. The delicious smell of coffee being made immediately hits my nose, and I smile.
I grab my mug of coffee, deciding I should go sit out on the back deck to watch the sunrise. I stumble outside and see the outline of someone already sitting in the first chair.
I tilt my head, and then I get a glimpse of who’s sitting here. “Gage?”
“Hey, Princess. I didn’t expect you to be up this early.”
“Couldn’t sleep with Caius’s snoring.”
Gage chuckles but then frowns when I wince.
“Could it also have to do with the fact that your back hurts like a bitch?”
“That might have something to do with it.”
“One second.” Gage jogs back into the house and returns with a bottle of pills. I hold out my hand, and he dumps a couple into my palm. I throw them back in my mouth.
“Thanks.”
I go back to sipping my coffee, and I notice Gage has one as well. “You an early riser, or is there a reason you are up this early?”
He sighs. “Just trying to figure out what I missed, why we can’t figure out who took Odette. It doesn’t make sense. There should be more clues as to where she went.”
“You stayed up all night looking for her?”
“That, and I kept an eye on the security system to keep us safe.”
“How can I help?”
Gage’s eyebrows shoot up. He grabs his laptop and fires it up. “You can tell me any locations where your father might keep Odette.”
My face drops. “My father—he didn’t exactly keep me informed of his criminal activities. He barely talked to me; I barely knew him, but…”
I stare at the map Gage has pulled up of the city, considering.
“But?” Beckett asks, stepping out of the darkness.
I nearly jump out of my skin. “Have you been there the whole time?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were there?”
He cocks his head. “I didn’t know that I needed to announce my presence.”
“You wanted to spy on me.”
“Maybe.” He shrugs.
Insufferable.
I down the rest of my coffee, knowing it’s time that Beckett and I have a conversation. I stand up from my chair. “Let’s talk.”
Beckett stiffens and then starts walking without a word.
I follow after and realize we are walking down to the dock. Beckett sits on the edge, his feet hanging over the water. I sit next to him, doing the same.
The sun is just beginning to rise finally, and his face glows in the early morning light.
“So our deal—you ready to accept?” he asks.
“Our deal for you to help me escape my father in exchange for information that can help you get Odette back?”
“Yes, that deal. Although base
d on listening to you talk to Gage, I doubt you have information that can help us.”
“I do, actually,” I snap back.
“Then, I’m all ears.”
“How do I know I can trust you? That you won’t use me as a bargaining chip to get Odette back?”
“You don’t.”
I frown. “Not really helping me to want to tell you anything.”
“I’m offering you a deal, but there are other ways I could get you to talk.”
“Asshole.”
“You’re not wrong.”
I sigh. I’m not sure if I believe him when he offers to help me. But then again, the information I have might not even lead to him finding Odette. My father may not have her. But after listening to Caius all last night, I want to help. Caius deserves to have his sister back even if Beckett doesn’t deserve to have his wife back.
I hold out my left hand to him.
He cautiously takes it.
“Deal.”
We shake.
“Tell me everything you know. Tell me if you think your father took her. Tell me why. Tell me where he might have taken her. Tell me the best way to get her back.”
I nod and close my eyes, taking a deep breath to decide where to start. But nothing comes to me. I draw a blank space.
I think harder about my past, about which details to share, but every detail I’ve ever thought vanishes. I can’t remember who I was running from or why. I can’t remember where I went to school. I can’t remember my family, my friends, birthdays, special occasions, afternoon coffees—all of it gone.
The images that do appear are foggy shadows, like ghosts haunting me.
Why can’t I remember?
Have I been drugged so much lately that I’m having temporary amnesia?
That must be it, but that doesn’t help Beckett find Odette. If I can’t tell him anything, then he’ll trade me back to my father, which is the one thing I don’t want. I feel that deep in my gut.
More importantly, I have a new intense terror. I don’t know who I am. I don’t remember my past. In an instant, it feels like everything was taken from me.
